Northumberland Line nearing completion; lets see Newbiggin, the N.C.L., and Choppington station next!

On Sunday coming (29th March 2026), the final Northumberland Line station at Bedlington will finally open to passengers and mark the completion of this hugely successful but unfortunately much delayed project. The opening date of 15th December 2024 was much revised from original forecasts, and only two stations (Ashington, and Seaton Delaval) opened on thatContinue reading “Northumberland Line nearing completion; lets see Newbiggin, the N.C.L., and Choppington station next!”

NEWS: NEPTUG Northumberland Branch

It was a delight yesterday (Wednesday 4th March 2026) to be a part of establishing the Northumberland Branch of the North East Public Transport Users Group (NEPTUG). There are branches for most parts of the North East active, with the branches covering local authority areas, so there is a Newcastle Branch and North Tyneside BranchContinue reading “NEWS: NEPTUG Northumberland Branch”

Pegswood Parkway on the ECML and N.C.L.: going Sandy style the way forward?

In a recent post about East Coast Main Line (ECML) capacity upgrades to enable more rail services between Newcastle and Edinburgh, such as the Northumberland Coast Loop, certain locations have already been identified by Network Rail for infrastructure changes, one of which is new loops in Pegswood area. This could have a major effect onContinue reading “Pegswood Parkway on the ECML and N.C.L.: going Sandy style the way forward?”

Extra carriages on some Northumberland Line trains from October 2025, but N.C.L. option still open?

With the fourth station on the line at Blyth Bebside due to open tomorrow (19th October 2025), and already around 700,000 passengers having travelled on the Northumberland Line since it opened less than a year ago (15th December 2024), there have been many of the two carriage trains becoming overwhelmed by the volume of passengersContinue reading “Extra carriages on some Northumberland Line trains from October 2025, but N.C.L. option still open?”

Extra carriages on some Northumberland Line trains from October 2025, but N.C.L. option still open?

With the fourth station on the line at Blyth Bebside due to open tomorrow (19th October 2025), and already around 700,000 passengers having travelled on the Northumberland Line since it opened less than a year ago (15th December 2024), there have been many of the two carriage trains becoming overwhelmed by the volume of passengersContinue reading “Extra carriages on some Northumberland Line trains from October 2025, but N.C.L. option still open?”

Big Tech in Northumberland and Railway Rethink?

The ‘Big Tech’ influence on our lives can be quite an interesting one, and an article by Dan Jackson was a good example of what can be ‘pushed’ onto your screen when you happen to awake early on a Sunday morning! Whlist reading Dan Jackson’s ‘Can Big Tech save Northumberland? Don’t expect a second coal boom‘,Continue reading “Big Tech in Northumberland and Railway Rethink?”

CRAG campaign calls for better coastal connectivity via Chathill, and thoughts on wider Northumberland Coast Rail Services

On Thursday 4th September 2025, David Smith, MP for North Northumberland, Deputy Mayor Cllr Martin Gannon, and local County Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson attended a meeting organised by the Chathill Rail Action Group (CRAG) at Chathill Station to discuss the improvement of rail services to and from this underserved station on the North Northumberland Coast. AsContinue reading “CRAG campaign calls for better coastal connectivity via Chathill, and thoughts on wider Northumberland Coast Rail Services”

Reopening Belford Railway Station a better option than A1 Dualling in Northumberland?

Dual the A1 for £500m+? A recent article from the Northumberland Gazette has stated that Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson, of the Bamburgh Ward in Northumberland is calling for the Development Consent Order (DCO) for dualling the A1 further between Morpeth and Ellingham to be retained by Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, MP. Dualling willContinue reading “Reopening Belford Railway Station a better option than A1 Dualling in Northumberland?”

Scotland Gate to the Scottish Border & Beyond? N.C.L. Update 13.6.25

A quick update on the Northumberland Coast Loop petitions to start with: Newcastle – Bedlington – Edinburgh Rail Service The petition for a rail service on the Newcastle – Bedlington – Edinburgh route has now reached 544 signatures, and continues to grow daily, thank you to all who’ve signed so far and if you haven’tContinue reading “Scotland Gate to the Scottish Border & Beyond? N.C.L. Update 13.6.25”

A Virtual Railway Station for Alnwick? Inspired by Keswick.

Keswick: A ‘Virtual’ Railway Station for the Lake District town? A recent article from Rail Advent has shown an interesting way that the town of Keswick, in Cumbria, has gained a new ‘station’ on the national network, served not by trains, but by buses. In the article, it describes how Keswick has a ‘virtual railwayContinue reading “A Virtual Railway Station for Alnwick? Inspired by Keswick.”